I noticed today that some of the pointing at the damp course level on the front of my place has dropped off. Obviously a little job to do but it occurs to me that pointing with the wrong thing could bridge the damp course so, presumably, I should use something other than normal mortar. Does anyone have any tips here...or should it even be pointed in the first place?
Cheers GMM
You're overthinking what a DPC actually does....it stops moisture travelling up through the brickwork - fullstop.
a few MM of mortar isn't going to make one iota of difference to it's functionality, and even if it did, it would only be on the exterior brick which gets drenched on a regular basis anyway...just point over it.
use a strong mix with a bit of PVA if it worries you. That's almost waterproof itself.
Just point upto it instead of over it, if you see what I mean. Ordinary mortar's fine.
NT
Not a good idea if the bricks are particularly soft though, you might end up with spalled brick faces after a few frosts.
Dar GMM What is the logic in bridging something you want to stop damp rising? OK - others have posted the observation that it is unlikely to cause bridging in practice (and that is largely correct) but the principle of offering an alternative route to dampness even in small quantities (and that is arguable with some mortars) is not sensible Point it in above and below and leave it pround and functionally visible! Make sure you point in with a weaker mortar than th brick and if it was originally lime use lime putty (not bagged) in about 3:1 Forget using any strong cement mortar (the ubiquitous sand cement at
3:1 grey and horrible normally weatherstruck! All depends on aesthetics and age.... ChrisHomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.